January 2024

Movement with Four Winds Samurai Arts

By Steven Armel, Sensei

We often visualize movement in terms of frames, reminiscent of a photograph, where distinct edges mark the beginning and end of motion. This perspective is rooted in our three-dimensional world, where time itself has defined boundaries. However, in classical bujutsu movement, the start and conclusion of an action is deliberately obscured. This intentional blurring of movement, the elimination of clear-cut starts and stops, lies at the heart of our practice. By obscuring the beginning and end of movement, we also obscure the boundaries of time itself, defying traditional "frames".

While many artists aim to capture and immortalize a moment, our objective as martial artists is to conceal the moment, rendering it invisible to the outside observer. Thus, in this project, we sought an artist who could perceive art in the same way we do; art that portrays an image while shrouding the true essence of the action, uncovering what lies beneath. It delves into the concept of omote and ura, the outward and inward aspects. The resulting visual representation captures the convergence of "the moment" and "the movement". These photographs exhibit a range of relationships, showcasing our waza and kata in their authentic form, as imparted through our Nami ryu Aiki Heiho tradition. What stirs you to move?

Photos by Sam Stone. Property of Four Winds Samurai Arts